Claw bar



A. A. KNOOP .CLAW BAR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1920.

1 ,41 2,35 6. Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

WM 167 v AUGUST A. KNOOP, OF OSI -IKOSH, WISCONSIN.

cLAw BAR.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,381.

T 0 all whom it may con-corn:

Be it known that I, AUGUST A. KNoor, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Claw Bars, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved claw bar particularly designed forpulling rail spikes and prying up rails, although it is susceptible ofvarious other uses, and an important purpose sought to be accomplishedthereby is to provide a bar which is especially useful and efiicient inextracting firmly embedded spikes whose heads have been sunk below theface of a tie.

Another important purpose of my invention is to provide a claw bar ofthe character mentioned with one or more fulcrum devices so arrangedwith respect to the bar and with respect to one another, if ap1urality'of them are used, that they will suecessively act as thefulcrum of the bar and prevent slipping of the same during the operationof extracting a spike.

Furthermore, it is a purpose of my invention to provide the bar withremovable fulcrum devices so that they can be replaced when they becomedamaged, which devices, however, when they are properly associated withthe bar, to all intents and purposes form a fixed part thereof, so thatthe liability of them becoming loose or otherwise failin to function ispractically eliminated.

f will illustrate and more particularly describe the nature and utilityof my invention in the best form known to me at presout, but it is to beunderstood that this is merely intended as a disclosure of the essentialfeatures of my invention and that its scope is as defined in theappended claim.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the different views Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa claw bar embodying the essential features ofmy invention;

Fig. 2, a detailed perspective of the fulcrum face of the bar, with thefulcrum devices removed; and I Fig. 3, a detailed perspective of one ofthe fulcrum devices.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 designates a bar of any desireddimensions and formed from any desired material, preferably steel, toinclude at one end a chisel 11 and at the other end a claw head 12., The

by flattening the mateformed transversely at any desired point a wedgeshaped fulcrum device 14.

The claw head 12, like the chisel 11, is formed by flattening andbroadening the material of the bar and curving the same in a directionopposite to the chisel, and bifurcating such broadened portion toproduce the forks of said the chisel 11, also includes a fulcrum face ofsuitable curvature as designated at 15, and transversely across which atsuitable points are formed dovetailed slots 16. I

edge-shaped fulcrum devices 17 are adapted for removable associationwith the fulcrum face 15 and when properly associated with said face 15extend transversely thereacross in relative spaced relation with theirapexes directed outwardly and their bases received and retained in thedovetailed slots 16. These fulcrum devices are applied to and removedfrom the slots by simply driving them in or out of engagement with saidslots by means of a suitable implement asd when driven in to all intentsform a fixed part of the bar as is apparent, although if they becomedamaged they may be replaced as is also apparent.

Ordinarily to extract a spike the forks of the claw head 12 are engagedwith the head of the spike and a thrust exerted upon the bar in adirection in which the face 15 will act as a fulcrum to cause the spiketo be pulled. but in many instances the'heads of the spikes are so farembedded in the ties supporting railroad rails that the chisel end 11becomes extremely useful for first prying the rail up to loosen thespike which may then be removed by means of the claw head 12.

Heretofore much inconvenience has been caused particularly in wetweather and when ice has collected upon the ties by slipping of clawbars during the operations of pulling spikes and raising rails, and thefulcrum devices 14 and 17 have been provided to overcome this objection.It is apparent that as the bar is swung to extract a spike the wedges 17will successively bite into the tie and act as the fulcrum of the barand that any slippage thereof will as a result be prevented.

By use of a bar as constructed in accordance with the foregoing it hasbeen found and tapering and curving claw head, which head, like able intransverse grooves in the claw head and opening through said fulcrumface, said devices prqectmg beyond said fulcrum face and successivelyincreasing in depth from the forward end of the claw head rearwardly,

and the advanced fulcrum device being sufficiently remote from theforward end of the claw head to permit said bar to fulcrum en tirely onsaid fulcrum face during its initial operation.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my si nature. 7

AUGUST A. Kuo'or.

